English Language Curriculum for Primary 4

Year 4 NERDC English Curriculum for Primary 4. Question Tags, Stress and Intonation, Aural Discrimination, Simple Conversation- Scheme

THEME 1:   READING

Week 1

Topic:  Comprehension I

Performance objectives

1. Read class appropriate informational texts e.g. health, environment, consumer rights, safety etc.;
2. Identify main ideas in the texts; and
3. Identify supporting facts in the texts

Contents

1. Reading Class appropriate informational texts e.g. texts on diet and nutrition, benefits of eating for healthy living, etc.
2. Guides pupils to identify supporting facts in a text

Teacher’s Activities

1. Guides pupils to read the story.
2. Guides pupils to identify main ideas in the texts
3. Guides pupils to identify supporting facts in a text.

Student’s Activities

1. Read the informational texts
2. Work in pairs or groups to identify main ideas in the texts.
3. Work in pairs or groups to identify main facts in the texts

Teaching & Learning Material  

1. Newspapers, magazines
2. Course book     
3. Supplementary readers
4. Pictures               

Evaluation Guide

1. read the informational texts;
2. discuss the main ideas in the texts; and
3. list the main facts in the read texts

Week 2

Topic: Comprehension II

Performance objectives

1. read descriptive passages with understanding;
2. identify new words used for describing people, animals, things and places; and
3. Answer factual and other questions.

Contents

1. Identify and explain new words used for describing people, animals, things and places.
2. Answer factual and other questions based on the passage.

Teacher’s Activities        

1. Guides pupils to read the passage
2. Guides pupils to identify and use new descriptive words,
3. Asks and guides pupils to answer factual and other questions on the passage.

Student’s Activities

1. Read the passage as guided by the teacher.
2. Work in groups to identify descriptive words in the passage.
3. Answer factual and other kinds of questions.

Teaching & Learning Material  

1. Course book
2. Supplementary reader.
3. Selected descriptive passages.
4. Flip chart/ cardboard chalk/white board.

Evaluation Guide

1. read descriptive passages; and
2. use new words in 5 sentences

Week 3

Topic: Comprehension III

Performance objectives

1. read class appropriate stories and poems with understanding;
2. answer questions on the poems and stories;
3. identify and interpret similes and metaphors; and
4. Understand characters, setting plots.

Contents

1. identify words, similes and metaphors,
2. Explain the characters, setting and plots in poems and stories.
3. Reading Class appropriate stories and poems to:
   1. identify words, similes and metaphors,
   1. Explain the characters, setting and plots in poems and stories.

Teacher’s Activities        

1. Guides pupils to read selected stories and poems.
2. Explains similarities and differences between simple stories (prose) and poems.
3. Asks and guides pupils to answer questions.
4. Explains the language of poetry to pupils e.g. Rhymes and rhythm, etc.
5. Identify similes and metaphors

Student’s Activities

1. Read stories and poems.
2. Discuss similarities and differences they observed in stories (prose) and poems with the teacher’s guidance.
3. Answer questions individually, in pairs or in groups.
4. Identify similes and metaphors in poems

Teaching & Learning Material  

1. Selected stories and poems
2. Course books
3. Flash cards
4. pictures and drawings
5. Real objects
6. Supplementary reading Materials

Evaluation Guide

1. Read stories and poems;
2. list 3 features of poems;
3. mention at least 3 examples of similes and metaphors; and
4. explain the meaning of character and setting plot

Week 4

Topic: Comprehension IV

Performance objectives

1. read the selected passage;
2. identify issues related to the passage; and
3. Answer questions on the passage.

Contents

1. Reading Passage on a range of issues (e.g. Cooperation, foods and drug safety, Road safety, etc. and:
   1. identifying issues related to the text,
   1. use context clues to understand text

Teacher’s Activities        

1. Guides the pupils to Read the passage.
2. Answer simple questions in pairs or groups.                       
3. Identify new words and
4. Ideas related to the passage.    

Student’s Activities

1. Read the passage.
2. Answer simple questions in pairs or groups.
3. Identify new words and ideas related to the passage.

Teaching & Learning Material  

1. Selected passage on cooperation
2. Flash cards.
3. Cardboards or chalk/white Board
4. Relevant pictures and Diagrams

Evaluation Guide

1. read selected passage;
2. identify issues related to the passage; and
3. Answer questions on the passage.

Week 5

Topic:  Comprehension V

Performance objectives

1. set purpose for reading;
2. read story books and other reading materials independently for entertainment, enjoyment or information; and
3. select books and other reading materials independently

Contents

1. Independent reading:
   1. Reading independently for a purpose;
   1. Independent selection of books and other reading materials.

Teacher’s Activities        

1. Guides pupils to read story books, supplementary readers, etc independently
2. Guides the pupils to understand the purpose of independent reading
3. Helps pupils to develop reading habits.
4. Guides pupils on how to select books and other reading materials
5. Guides pupils to summarize what they have read

Student’s Activities

1. Read story books and other reading materials independently
2. Recognize the purpose of reading any text
3. Show interest in reading independently
4. Select books and other reading materials on their own
5. Pupils to summarize what they have read

Teaching & Learning Material  

1. Story books
2. Supplementary Readers
3. Charts on how to select books in the library
4. Newspaper, magazines etc

Evaluation Guide

1. read story books and other reading materials;
2. mention at least 3 purposes of reading different texts;
3. explain how to select books and other reading materials; and
4. summarize at least one book read

Week 6

Topic: Concepts of print

Performance objectives

1. identify different types of fonts, illustrations, graphics etc;
2. use title, title page, table of content, glossary and index to locate information; preview text using text features e.g. headings, graphics, titles, diagram, etc; and
3. Recognize different kinds of text- poems, plays, drama, letters, biographies etc.

Contents

1. Recognizing charts, maps, graphs, pictures, etc. in printed materials and texts
2. Parts of text e.g. title, title page, table of content, glossary, index etc.
3. Previewing text using text features.

Teacher’s Activities        

1. Guides pupils to recognize and use charts, maps, graphs, pictures etc.
2. Guides pupils to identify parts of texts e.g. title of text, title page, table of content, glossary, index etc.
3. Guides pupils to locate information in texts using parts of text.
4. Guides pupils to preview a text using headings, graphics, titles etc.

Student’s Activities

1. Recognize and use charts, maps, graphs, pictures etc.
2. Identify parts of text e.g. title of text, table of content, glossary, etc.
3. Locate information in text using parts of text
4. Preview texts using text features e.g. headings, graphics, titles etc.

Teaching & Learning Material  

1. Recommended books
2. supplementary readers
3. Story books

Evaluation Guide

1. Recognize and use maps, graphs, pictures, etc;
2. Identify parts of texts;
3. Locate information from texts using parts of text; and
4. Preview a text using text features.

SUBJECT:   ENGLISH LANGUAGE      CLASS LEVEL: PRIMARY 4

THEME 2:  WRITING

Week 1

Topic:    1              Writing Simple Sentences about Events in Correct Sequence. (A Passage on Consumer, Market and Society)

Performance objectives

1. Explain who a consumer is using simple sentences;
2. Explain the meaning of a market;
3. List three key market operators in simple sentences; and
4. In simple sentences, discuss the roles of market in the society.

Contents

1. Meaning of consumer, market and society.
2. Key operators in the market e.g. consumers, goods and service providers, government, etc.
3. Impact of market on society.

Teacher’s Activities        

1. Explains the meaning of consumer, market and society in simple sentences e.g. „A consumer buys goods and services‟.
2. Discusses the impact of market on society using simple sentences.
3. Takes learners on a trip to a market.

Student’s Activities

1. Participate in explanation of consumer, market and society in simple sentences.

Teaching & Learning Material  

1. Posters, charts, fliers showing market scenes.
2. Magazines, pictures, newspapers, cutting of relevant information on consumer and society.
3. Textbooks.

Evaluation Guide

1. explain the meaning of consumer, market and society;
2. list three key market operators; and
3. Give two impacts of market on society.

Week 2

Topic: Guided Informal Letter, e.g. Letter to a Friend

Performance objectives

1. make appropriate use of guidelines to write an informal letter; and
2. Write an informal letters.

Contents

1. An informal letter. E.g. A letter to an elder sister, a brother, a father, a mother, a friend.
2. Features of informal letter: Letter to a friend is based on: tolerance, humaneness, personal in tone, intimate with secret/gossip, to share and enjoy warmth.

Teacher’s Activities        

1. Teacher explains meaning of informal letter.
2. Lists the formal features of an inform letter.
3. Guides pupils to write informal letters.

Student’s Activities

1. Listen to and write down in their books meaning of, and features of informal letters.
2. Write informal letters to relatives and friends.
3. Participate in class discussions.

Teaching & Learning Material  

1. A suitable guided informal letter formats.
2. An informal letter prepared by the teacher.

Evaluation Guide

1. use the guidelines correctly to write an informal letter; and
2. Write informal letter correctly.

Week 3

Topic: Narrative and Descriptive Composition Descriptive:

1. My Family

2. My School

Performance objectives

1. narrate a story;
2. write a composition on a given topic;
3. describe the essential characteristics of their family or school; and
4. describe the members of the family, noting their special characters

Contents

1. Describe piece of writing, bringing out important events or highlight.
2. Communicate these thoughts in a continuous prose.
3. Get, through the help of pupils, the different exciting events in their lives.
4. Describing the members of the family (including pets)
5. Describing a typical day in the life of the family.

Teacher’s Activities        

1. Prepares model compositions on narrative and descriptive and use these to guide pupils.
2. Discusses the content of the composition with pupils; each mentioning their own memorable days.
3. Let’s them say why it is memorable.
4. Let them write it as a creative piece of writing to be displayed on the notice board.

Student’s Activities

1. Write compositions (narrative and descriptive) given by the teacher.
2. Copy the model compositions given by the teacher.
3. Talk about their experiences with regard to the events.
4. Read over the work on the chalkboard.
5. Write two or three paragraphs on their own memorable day.

Teaching & Learning Material  

1. Picture charts of exciting events.
2. Model narrative and descriptive passages.
3. Course book.
4. Composition prepared by the teacher.
5. Supplementary reader.

Evaluation Guide

1. Pupils to narrative their own story;
2. Write their own composition on a topic of their interest;
3. Describe their family or school environment; and
4. Describe members of their family noting their special characters.

Year 4 NERDC English Language Curriculum for Primary 4 – Schemeofwork

SUBJECT:   ENGLISH LANGUAGE      CLASS LEVEL: PRIMARY 4

THEME 3: LISTENING AND SPEAKING

Week 1

Topic:    Simple Conversation using the Appropriate Words

Performance objectives

1. engage in simple conversation involving, excuse, obligation, permission etc;
2. Use modal auxiliaries to make sentences such as: „can i come in‟? and
3. Use modal auxiliaries in sentences in contextual situations so as to bring out their meaning.

Contents

1. Practice in excusing, obligation, permission etc
2. “can‟ meaning possible
3. “Must‟ meaning obligation “ought to‟ meaning what is right.

Teacher’s Activities        

1. List the modal auxiliaries
2. Creates short stories around the family using modal auxiliaries
3. Asks questions on the story e.g. can Adamu wash the plate?
4. Constructs a dialogue for the same purpose
5. Guides the pupils to dialogue in pairs emphasizing on the modal auxiliaries.

Student’s Activities

1. Make sentences after teacher’s modal examples with „can‟, „cannot‟, „may‟, „May not‟, „must‟, „must not‟, „ought to‟, „ought not to‟, etc.
2. Create a short scene where the pupils role play and use auxiliaries in their conversation
3. Make sentences on their own with modal auxiliaries.

Teaching & Learning Material  

1. Real objects
2. Approved course book
3. Pictures showing actions of the conversations

Evaluation Guide

1. use each of the modal auxiliaries correctly; and
2. Say short sentences using auxiliaries.

Week 2

Topic: Aural Discrimination in Vowels and Consonants

Performance objectives

1. distinguish between the sounds /˄/ in bud and sound /3:/ in bird /a/ in bag and /a:/ in bark;
2. recognize the sounds in words;
3. draw the contrast between sounds when they use the words; and
4. Discriminate between two pairs of consonants e.g. /t/Ϛ/ chin /Ϛ/ shin /v/ vest /f/ first.

Contents     

1. Discriminate between the sounds /˄/ and /3:/ cup curb luck lurk gull girl bust burst
2. Aural consonants as chop/shop, catch/cash, very/ ferry, have/half
3. Distinguishes the pair of voiced and voiceless consonant sounds.

Teacher’s Activities        

1. Writes out the words and the sounds symbols
2. Pronounce the sounds
3. Drills the pupils on the sound distinctions in the words
4. Writes and pronounce vowels and consonant sounds in the word contexts.

Student’s Activities

1. Practice the new vowel and consonant sounds and in word context
2. Write the words and the sound symbols in their note books
3. Differentiate the voiced and voiceless consonants.

Teaching & Learning Material  

1. Course book
2. Any suitable book on English phonetics
3. Tape recorder with speech cassettes.

Evaluation Guide

1. do oral drills;
2. recognize the sound;
3. contrast the two vowel sounds; and
4. Distinguish between two pairs of consonant words.

Week 3

Topic: Oral Composition Descriptive and Narrative

e.g. – An Interesting experience: “A visit to my village‟” – “„My Father’s house”.               

Performance objectives

1. narrate the highlights of ”a visit to my village‟;
2. narrate a story;
3. describe how things are been done or a place, e.g. “my father’s house‟; and
4. Pick out important features in any event with emphasis on time, place, occasion and significance.

Contents

1. Narrating an interesting experience with the following: – “A visit to my village‟, “My first day in school‟
2. Describing places or how things are done e.g. “My school‟, “How to cook rice‟.

Teacher’s Activities        

1. Leads discussions dramatization based on “A visit to my village‟ or an interesting experience in ” my school‟ or any descriptive topic
2. Organizes out of class activities to visit places of interest and asks the pupils to narrate or describe their experiences.

Student’s Activities

1. Narrate some events they witnessed
2. Participate actively in teacher initiated activities
3. Describe their memorable days individually.

Teaching & Learning Material  

1. Text books showing various events
2. Video clips of events
3. Real objects to describe how things are done.

Evaluation Guide

1. describe some events accurately; and
2. Narrate interesting experiences they have witnessed.

Week 4

Topic: Using Question Tags

Performance objectives

1. Ask and respond to question tags;
2. Making sentences adding question tags; and
3. Use tags in asking question either positive or negative

Contents

1. Positive:
   • Tomorrow is Monday, isn’t it?
   • You are a boy/girl, aren’t you?
   • She is quite attractive, isn’t she?
   • We shall see each other again, shan’t we?
2. Negative:
   • You didn’t come to school, did you?
   • This book isn’t yours, is it?

Teacher’s Activities        

1. Let’s pupils use tags correctly as in content columns
2. Engages the pupils in various conversations involving positive and negative tags
3. Guides pupils to generate questions using tags
4. Shows the pupil’s questions and what tags to be used i.e. positive tag or negative.

Student’s Activities

1. Listen attentively to the teacher and ask questions using tags
2. In pairs, they engage in conversation using correct questions with correct tags
3. Identify what tags to be used for various questions.

Teaching & Learning Material  

1. Course book
2. Teacher’s guide
3. Other relevant materials.

Evaluation Guide

1. use tags correctly in questions; and
2. Make sentences adding the question tags.

Week 5

Topic: Stress and Intonation

Performance objectives

1. utter each expression with the correct stress;
2. use intonation pattern to express meaning; and
3. Distinguish the contrast between the two expressions both in statement and in question.

Contents

1. Stress pattern can be represented as: / stressed; \unstressed e.g. / WRIting it now / SEnd it now /BEAutiful girl
2. Intonation and stress change the meaning of sentence, e.g. you want me to stay (statement) you want me to stay? (Question).

Teacher’s Activities        

1. Expresses the stress pattern e.g. “writing‟ has only one stress “wri‟
2. Says the expression once and lets pupils say after him/her three times
3. Guides the pupils to point out differences in meaning
4. Provides sentences and pronounce them in the appropriate intonation and stress pattern.
   
   

Student’s Activities

1. Say each phrases expressing correct stress
2. Use pronunciation pattern provided by the teacher in sentences to show stress and intonation
3. Answer questions on stress and intonation.

Teaching & Learning Material  

1. Course book
2. Any practical book on phonetics.

Evaluation Guide

1. do oral drill;
2. make correct sentences with correct stress and intonation; and
3. Do oral exercise.

Week 6

Topic: Songs and Poems

Performance objectives

1. read and sing poems and songs as instruments of speech training;          
2. memorize and recite poems;     
3. sing and enjoy the song;
4. discuss meaning and effect of poem; and
5. Identify the theme of poem.

Contents

1. Read and sing.
2. Poems and songs. Discuss the theme of poem (subject matter and meaning).
3. Songs as another useful instrument of speech training and memorization.

Teacher’s Activities

1. Leads pupils to study the poem.
2. Reads poems to pupils to arouse interest.
3. Let’s pupils take turns reading the poem.
4. Reads the song as a poem.
5. Let’s the pupils read after him/her.
6. Encourages them to memorize the songs.
7. Teaches the pupils to sing the song and enjoy it.

Student’s Activities

1. Listen to the teacher read the poem and sing song.        
2. Take turns in reading the poem and singing the songs.  
3. Memorize the poem and the song.        
4. Read the poem in group chorally and individually.            
5. Read the poem and sing the song to get details of the meaning.
6. Learn to sing and enjoy the song.

Teaching & Learning Material  

1. A short poem on a cardboard.
2. Flash cards showing key words in the poem and songs.
3. Simple poetry books
4. Other relevant materials.
5. Charts containing the song.
6. Course book.

Evaluation Guide

1. Read the song as a poem;
2. memorize and recite it correctly;
3. discuss the meaning and effect of the poem;
4. identify the theme of the poem; and
5. Memorize the song, song and enjoy it.

SUBJECT:   ENGLISH LANGUAGE      CLASS LEVEL: PRIMARY 4

THEME 4: GRAMMATICAL ACCURACY

Week 1

Topic:    Using past, present and future tenses accurately

Performance objectives

1. Correctly use:
   • Past tense
   • Present tense
   • Future tense.

Contents

1. Past tense e.g. I ate yesterday
2. Present tense e.g. I eat rice everyday
3. Future tense e.g. I will eat salad tomorrow.

Teacher’s Activities        

1. Explains the use of past, present and future tenses.      
2. Guides pupils to use the past, present and future tenses.

Student’s Activities

1. Identify past, present and future tenses.
2. Use past, present and future sentences in making statements/sentences.

Teaching & Learning Material  

1. Course book
2. Substitution tables

Evaluation Guide

1. Identify past, present and future tenses; and
2. Make correct use of past, present and future tenses.

Week 2

Topic: Nouns and pronouns

Performance objectives

1. Identify nouns and pronouns; and
2. Use nouns and pronouns in making sentences.

Contents

1. Identification of nouns and pronouns
2. Use of nouns and pronouns.

Teacher’s Activities        

1. Explains nouns and pronouns.
2. Guides pupils to identify nouns and pronouns.
3. Guides pupils to use nouns and pronouns in sentences.

Student’s Activities

1. Identify nouns and pronouns
2. Use nouns and pronouns in making sentences.

Teaching & Learning Material  

1. Course book
2. Real objects Pictures

Evaluation Guide

1. Identify nouns and pronouns in statements/ sentences; and
2. Construct five sentences using nouns and pronouns.

Week 3

Topic: Adjectives and Adverbs

Performance objectives

1. Identify adjectives and adverbs; and
2. Use adjectives and adverbs in making sentences.

Contents

1. Identification of adjectives and adverbs
2. Use of adjectives and adverbs.

Teacher’s Activities        

1. Explains adjectives and adverbs.
2. Guides pupils to identify adjectives and adverbs.
3. Guides pupils to use adjectives and adverbs in making sentences.

Student’s Activities

1. Identify adjectives and adverbs
2. Use adjectives and adverbs in making sentences.

Teaching & Learning Material  

1. Course book Real objects
2. Pictures

Evaluation Guide

1. Identify adjectives and adverbs in statements/ sentences; and
2. Make correct use of adjectives and adverbs.

Week 4

Topic: Comparative forms of adjectives and adverbs

Performance objectives

1. Pupils should be able to use the comparative forms of adjectives and adverbs correctly.

Contents

1. Comparative forms of adjectives e.g. He is taller than his father; Bimpe is more intelligent than Ayo
2. Comparative forms of adverbs e.g. Ahmed walks more slowly than Eze.

Teacher’s Activities        

1. Gives examples of the comparative forms of adjectives and adverbs.
2. Guides pupils to use the comparative forms of adjectives and adverbs.

Student’s Activities

1. Identify the comparative forms of adjectives and adverbs.
2. Use comparative forms in sentences.

Teaching & Learning Material  

1. Course book     
2. Charts containing comparative and superlative

Evaluation Guide

1. Identify the comparative forms of adjectives and adverbs;
2. Use comparative forms in sentences.

Week 5

Topic: Question Tags

Performance objectives

1. Ask and respond to question tags;
2. Make sentences, adding the question tags; and
3. Use the negative and positive tags correctly.

Contents

1. Question tags when body of sentence is positive and the tail is negative e.g. she is beautiful, isn’t she? Today is Wednesday, isn’t it?
2. Question tags when the body is negative and the tail is positive e.g. she will not come, will she? You did not fail, did you?

Teacher’s Activities        

1. Explains when to use question tags
2. Gives examples and asks pupils to repeat after him/her.
3. Guides pupils to use question tags.

Student’s Activities

1. Make sentences that involve question tags.       
2. Do oral drills on negative question tags.

Teaching & Learning Material  

1. Substitution table
2. Course book
3. Flash card

Evaluation Guide

1. Ask and respond to question tags correctly;
2. Make sentences, adding the question tags correctly; and
3. Use the positive and negative tags correctly.

Week 6

Topic: Adverbial Clauses using “if‟ and “when”

Performance objectives

1. Use adverbial clause of condition (if) correctly; and
2. Use adverbial clause of condition (when) correctly.

Contents

1. Adverbial clause of condition (if) e.g. If we know our rights as Nigerians, nobody can abuse them;
2. Adverbial clause of condition (when) e.g. when we pay our taxes, the government will do more for the citizens.

Teacher’s Activities        

1. Explains adverbial clauses of condition using “if” and “when”
2. Guides pupils to use adverbial clauses in making sentences.

Student’s Activities

1. Identify target adverbial clauses.
2. Use of adverbial clauses of condition “if” and “when”.

Teaching & Learning Material  

1. Course book
2. Flash Cards        
3. Picture

Evaluation Guide

1. Identify adverbial clause of condition “if” and “when”; and
2. Make correct use of clause of condition “if” and “when”.

Year 4 NERDC English Curriculum for Primary 4 Schemeofwork.com

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